Eccentric gears with reduced bearing span

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10648375-B2
Application number	US-201816155125-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 9, 2018
Priority date	Oct 10, 2017
Publication date	May 12, 2020
Grant date	May 12, 2020

Abstract

An electrically-controlled eccentric camshaft phaser ( 10 ) that adjusts phase between a camshaft and a crankshaft includes a sprocket ( 12 ), configured to connect to the crankshaft and rotate about a center axis (x), having a sprocket ring gear ( 14 ); a camshaft plate ( 20 ) configured to connect to the camshaft and rotate about the center axis (x), having a camshaft ring gear ( 22 ); an eccentric shaft ( 28 ) that includes a crankshaft eccentric section ( 52 ) and a camshaft eccentric section ( 54 ); a sprocket bearing ( 16 ) that is received by the crankshaft eccentric section ( 52 ); a camshaft bearing ( 64 ), having a different diameter than the sprocket bearing ( 16 ), that is received by the camshaft eccentric section ( 54 ).

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electrically-controlled eccentric camshaft phaser ( 10 ) that adjusts phase between a camshaft and a crankshaft, the electrically-controlled eccentric camshaft phaser comprising:
a sprocket ( 12 ), configured to connect to the crankshaft and rotate about a center axis (x), having a sprocket ring gear ( 14 ) that includes a plurality of radially-inwardly facing gear teeth ( 18 );
a camshaft plate ( 20 ), configured to connect to the camshaft and rotate about the center axis (x), having a camshaft ring gear ( 22 ) that includes a plurality of radially-inwardly facing gear teeth ( 24 );
an eccentric shaft ( 28 ) that includes a crankshaft eccentric section ( 52 ) and a camshaft eccentric section ( 54 );
a sprocket bearing ( 16 ) that is received by the crankshaft eccentric section ( 52 );
a camshaft bearing ( 64 ), having a different inner diameter than the sprocket bearing ( 16 ), that is received by the camshaft eccentric section ( 54 ), wherein at least a portion of the sprocket bearing ( 16 ) and the camshaft bearing ( 64 ) abut each other; and
a compound planetary gear ( 26 ) including a sprocket planetary gear ( 72 ) engaging the sprocket ring gear ( 16 ) and a camshaft planetary gear ( 74 ) engaging the camshaft ring gear ( 22 ).

2. The electrically-controlled eccentric camshaft phaser ( 10 ) recited in claim 1 , wherein the sprocket bearing ( 16 ) is further received by the sprocket ( 12 ).

3. The electrically-controlled eccentric camshaft phaser ( 10 ) recited in claim 1 , further comprising an electric motor ( 30 ) having an output shaft ( 32 ) that rotates the eccentric shaft ( 28 ) and controls phase adjustment between the camshaft and crankshaft by angularly displacing the sprocket ( 12 ) with respect to the camshaft plate ( 20 ).

4. The electrically-controlled eccentric camshaft phaser ( 10 ) recited in claim 1 , wherein the camshaft bearing ( 64 ) diameter differs from the sprocket bearing ( 16 ) diameter by at least two times an eccentricity of the eccentric shaft ( 28 ).

5. The electrically-controlled eccentric camshaft phaser ( 10 ) recited in claim 1 , wherein the sprocket bearing ( 16 ), the camshaft bearing ( 64 ), or both are single-row bearings.

6. The electrically-controlled eccentric camshaft phaser ( 10 ) recited in claim 1 , wherein the sprocket bearing ( 16 ), the camshaft bearing ( 64 ), or both comprise crossed-roller bearings or four-point contact bearings.

7. The electrically-controlled eccentric camshaft phaser ( 10 ) recited in claim 1 , wherein the sprocket bearing ( 16 ), the camshaft bearing ( 64 ), or both includes an inner race and an outer race having different widths.

8. The electrically-controlled eccentric camshaft phaser ( 10 ) recited in claim 1 , wherein the camshaft plate ( 20 ) is located radially inwardly from the sprocket ( 12 ).

9. An electrically-controlled eccentric camshaft phaser ( 10 ) that adjusts phase between a camshaft and a crankshaft, the electrically-controlled eccentric camshaft phaser comprising:
a sprocket ( 12 ), configured to connect to the crankshaft and rotate about a center axis (x), having a sprocket ring gear ( 14 ) that includes a plurality of radially-inwardly facing gear teeth ( 18 );
a sprocket bearing ( 16 ) that is received via an axial side ( 42 ) of the sprocket ( 12 ) and abuts the sprocket ( 12 );
a camshaft bearing ( 64 ), having a different inner diameter than the sprocket bearing ( 16 ), that is received via the axial side ( 42 );
a camshaft plate ( 20 ), including a camshaft ring gear ( 22 ) axially spaced from the sprocket ring gear ( 14 ), configured to rotationally couple with the camshaft and rotate about the center axis (x), includes a plurality of radially-inwardly facing gear teeth ( 24 );
an eccentric shaft ( 28 ) including a crankshaft eccentric section ( 52 ) that is engaged with an inner diameter of the sprocket bearing ( 16 ) and a camshaft eccentric section ( 54 ) that is engaged with an inner diameter of the camshaft bearing ( 64 ), wherein the eccentric shaft ( 28 ) is adapted for insertion into the camshaft phaser ( 10 ) via the axial side ( 42 ) of the sprocket ( 12 ) passing through the inner diameter of the sprocket bearing ( 16 ) and the inner diameter of the camshaft bearing ( 64 ); and
a compound planetary gear ( 26 ) including a sprocket planetary gear ( 72 ) engaging the sprocket ring gear ( 14 ) and a camshaft planetary gear ( 74 ) engaging the camshaft ring gear ( 22 ).

10. The electrically-controlled eccentric camshaft phaser recited in claim 9 , further comprising an electric motor ( 30 ) having an output shaft ( 32 ) that rotates the eccentric shaft ( 28 ) and controls phase adjustment between the camshaft and crankshaft by angularly displacing the sprocket ( 12 ) with respect to the camshaft plate ( 20 ).

11. The electrically-controlled eccentric camshaft phaser ( 10 ) recited in claim 9 , wherein the camshaft bearing ( 64 ) diameter differs from the sprocket bearing ( 16 ) diameter by at least two times an eccentricity of the eccentric shaft ( 28 ).

12. The electrically-controlled eccentric camshaft phaser ( 10 ) recited in claim 9 , wherein the sprocket bearing ( 16 ), the camshaft bearing ( 64 ), or both are single-row bearings.

13. The electrically-controlled eccentric camshaft phaser ( 10 ) recited in claim 9 , wherein the sprocket bearing ( 16 ), the camshaft bearing ( 64 ), or both comprise crossed-roller bearings or four-point contact bearings.

14. The electrically-controlled eccentric camshaft phaser ( 10 ) recited in claim 9 , wherein the sprocket bearing ( 16 ), the camshaft bearing ( 64 ), or both includes an inner race and an outer race having different widths.

15. The electrically-controlled eccentric camshaft phaser ( 10 ) recited in claim 9 , wherein the camshaft plate ( 20 ) is located radially inwardly from the sprocket ( 12 ).

16. The electrically-controlled eccentric camshaft phaser ( 10 ) recited in claim 9 , wherein a portion of a bearing opening ( 40 ) in the sprocket ( 12 ) is deformed in a radially-inwardly direction after the sprocket bearing ( 16 ) is engaged with the bearing opening ( 40 ) thereby preventing the sprocket bearing ( 16 ) from axial movement and axially separating the sprocket bearing ( 16 ) from the camshaft bearing ( 64 ).

17. An electrically-controlled eccentric camshaft phaser ( 10 ) that adjusts phase between a camshaft and a crankshaft, the electrically-controlled eccentric camshaft phaser comprising:
a sprocket ( 12 ), configured to connect to the crankshaft and rotate about a center axis (x), having a sprocket ring gear ( 14 ) that includes a plurality of radially-inwardly facing gear teeth ( 18 );
a camshaft plate ( 20 ), configured to connect to the camshaft and rotate about the center axis (x), having a camshaft ring gear ( 22 ) that includes a plurality of radially-inwardly facing gear teeth ( 24 );
a sprocket bearing ( 16 );
a camshaft bearing ( 64 ), having a different inner diameter than the sprocket bearing ( 16 );
a compound planetary gear ( 26 ) including a sprocket planetary gear ( 72 ) engaging the sprocket ring gear ( 16 ) and a camshaft planetary gear ( 74 ) engaging the camshaft ring gear ( 22 ); and
an eccentric shaft ( 28 ) that includes a crankshaft eccentric portion ( 52 ) engaging the sprocket bearing ( 16 ), a camshaft eccentric portion ( 54 ) engaging the camshaft bearing ( 64 ), and a bearing spacer ( 31 ).

18. The electrically-controlled eccentric camshaft phaser ( 10 ) recited in claim 17 , wherein the bearing spacer ( 31 ) extends less

Assignees

• Borgwarner Inc

Inventors

• Brown Daniel
• Blackmur Shawn
• Thomas Chris D

Classifications

• F01L2303/00

  Manufacturing of components used in valve arrangements · CPC title

• F01L2820/032

  Electric motors · CPC title

• F01L2250/02

  the camshaft being driven by chains · CPC title

• F01L1/022

  Chain drive · CPC title

• F16H1/32

  in which the central axis of the gearing lies inside the periphery of an orbital gear · CPC title